Madoka Magica - The Origins of Walpurgisnacht
by Architectural Oshawott
Summary: Based on one of Homura Akeme's failed Timelines, follow the Magical Girls as they attempt to subdue the most powerful Witch that has threatened the safety of the planet so far! Featuring the original Puella Magi characters, as well as original characters, as well as Walpurgisnacht's journey towards them, decimating all in it's path...(on hiatus)
1. Chapter 1

'It didn't take long for my soulgem to glow. It's yellow rays shining like a miniature sun, Optimistic, warm, happy. I sighed. It was the exact opposite to how I felt as of late. This witch has evaded me for the better half of two weeks, Two weeks of coming so close to destroying it, only to find several bodies, each emblazoned with the witches kiss, accompanied by the fading chimes of mock laughter.

This time it will NOT get away!

The sun was fading quickly, colouring around it in vivid bursts of orange clouds and yellow skies. I walked towards an abandoned factory off the outskirts of town, each step making my gem shine more and more, I put it into my pocket, I knew that it wasn't needed to find Couxvain, not this time. It was funny really, Had I not been a magical girl, forever tasked with the duties of killing witches, forever protecting this city from their tyrannies and not receiving a shred of credit for it, I would have enjoyed this sunset, I would have been lying on the grass , any hill of grass, with my arms wrapped around someone, someone who knew….someone who understood….. I heard the 'pitter patter' of tiny feet , an all-too familiar sound, and felt Kyubey relax on my shoulder , His tail brushing my face, perhaps to comfort me in some small way. ' You need to find a grief seed Mami.' He warned , ' You've almost used up your magic, perhaps you should try to find an easier witch to kill, No one would question your need to get your magical energy up to fight.' I was nearing the factory doors now, This building was evacuated three years ago on the false alarm that a fission reactor had leaked, causing lethal radiation and forcing the government to evacuate half the city. Of course, it wasn't due to radiation, Witches seems to enjoy inhabiting these walls, Couxvain is the third witch I know to have done so. 'I'm going to fight' I replied calmly, causing alarm in kyubey's face, his ears shooting up immediately. ' I'm going to protect the people of this city from this witch, It's been getting away with too much for too long.' I arrived at a set of gates, accompanied by a sign ' Stay out.' A single shot from a musket was sufficent to break the lock and push it aside. I knew exactly where the witch would be, where every witch had been before, I knew the many vantage points of the factory, the previous two had used the factory interior as a shell for their labyrinth, allowing me to learn where to go, where to gain advantage, and to kill them. But this time it was different.

This witch didn't need a labyrinth.

It would take a lot for me to defeat Couxvain, perhaps even more than I have in reserve, but if I was to go down, I would go down defeating it. My parents would be proud of what I've done. That thought made me smile, despite my fears, despite my shortcomings, my parents have always given me strength, now more than ever, their memory will not end tonight.

I walked calmly into the main doors, into what could have been the reception area. I sighed. Fighting Couxvain in the past taught me that this witch was able to spot me no matter how many times I had attempted to hide, or to sneak up on it, so I was going to take it by suprise.

I was going to walk straight towards it.

I closed my eyes, and allowed my soulgem to release it's energy, I felt the magic course through my vains, like a flame, igniting my blood, accelerating to my very heart, when it reached there, It released all the energy I have left, I opened my eyes again, I was ready.

Couxvain was waiting for me in the main processing area. A howl of phantom laughter greeted me. Even by normal witches standards, This one looked even more…..abstract. It's face quite literally a skull, except distorted slightly, It's body resembled that of a bee, with it's arms consisting of chainsaws. I summoned five muskets before me, grabbed one in mid-air, and pointed it straight into it's 'eyes'. ' This time, your done'. Couxvain screamed in defiance, sending chills down my spine, It was distinctly human, except terribly altered, like it was in pain, terrible pain. It made me take a step back in fear, but I reversed, and stepped back forward again . ' Let's end this!' I shot at the thing with the musket in my hand, quickly grabbing the two nearest to me, aiming them squarely at the witches face. I fired again. Keeping the pressure on, I summoned five more guns, pointed them squarely in Couxvain's chest, and fired. 8 rapid-fire rounds detonanated, momentarily stunning the witch, That was all I needed. I leapt into the air, caught a railing, and allowed myself to land on the first floor. Within a second's notice, I summoned multiple bows to tie down Couxvain's feet, Falling the giant creature. It appeared disorientated, but began to use it's chainsaws to cut at the bows. It would soon be free, but not before I managed to get one more shot in, A Tiro Finale right at it's weak spot, the back of it's neck. I unwrapped my own bow and, with most of the magic at my disposal, summoned the giant gun in my hands. This is the third time I would use Tiro Finale on Couxvain. This time, I wouldn't miss. ' TIRO FINALE!' I screamed in utter defiance, pointed the gun right at the witches neck, and fired. I felt the burst of pure power escape the barrel, felt the recoil , and let the massive weapon disappear. I didn't have the magic resources to use it anymore. The massive burst hit Couxvain exactly where I wanted it to, All I could see was the massive round detonate, bright light filling my vision. I landed exactly where I stood not ten seconds before, summoning two muskets in my hands….Just in case. The smoke began to fade, I couldn't make out anything…except…An object appeared towards me , moving at break-neck speed, I couldn't dodge it in time! I felt something hit my chest. I hit the wall behind me, felt something snap, and landed to the floor. I tried to see, yet all I could see were stars, they were pretty, beautiful even, I could see my parents faces, they looked really happy, like they always did, I reached out towards them, I wanted to see them, so badly, I could feel the tears fall down my cheek, ' Mom….Dad…..' I whispered. The images faded , as if they were swirls of smoke. In it's place stood Couxvain, Laughing manically. That haunted laugh! I tried to stand up, but I couldn't feel my legs. I tried desperately to move, to summon a musket, anything to stop it! I couldn't summon anything, my arms were limp. I had no magic, my back must be broken.

There was nothing I could do.

I closed my eyes, and ceased struggling, both inside and out, I was finished. I looked Couxvain straight in the face, ignoring it's vile laughter. ' Just do it and be done with it.' I whispered with rasped breath, I could taste blood on my tongue. The witch chuckled, and brought one of it's massive chainsaw arms up in the air, intending to crush me, I closed my eyes again, and waited for the final blow.

And waited…..and waited…..

Silence.

I opened my eyes again. Couxvain was staring me right in the eyes, but was completely frozen. It's arm was clearly moving, I could see motion in it's chainsaw, but it looked like….He was frozen!

'Homura?!'

I could feel someone holding my hand. In fact, I could start to feel again. The sweet sensation began in my arm and coursed through my body. I turned, now with ease, to Homura, healing me with her magic. ' Thank you.' I whispered. Homura just stared at Couxvain, judging from her expression, she didn't look like she was doing this from the goodness of her heart. ' I'm going to let go of your hand now.' Homura explained, her expression motionless. 'This won't take long'. I nodded, and felt her hand escape from mine. A split second later, All I could hear were explosions, multiple RPG detonations, and rapid-machine fire. I covered my ears, and backed away slowly, putting my back to the wall. After a solid minute of non-stop fire, the manic explosions stopped. I stared at the wreckage before me. Couxvain was completely decimated, it's body parts in shreads, scattered across the entire room, the windows were smashed, shards still falling almost as if from the sky. Homura stood where the witch once was, clutching THREE grief seeds in her hand. I tested my legs, was I really healed? my toes moved in response, answering my question. I breathed a sigh of relief. ' You were stupid.' Homura muttered, almost to low for me to hear. I strode towards her, musket in hand. ' I simply tried to eliminate a threat to this city.' I explained calmly. ' You know the murders that were committed in the last month, I was trying to PREVENT that! ' Homura's eyes could be made of ice, for all the expression it showed, and that set me on edge. ' That's not what I meant.' She replied. ' You know nothing of what witches are capable of.' She gestured to the grief seeds in her hand. ' These seeds came about because witches are able to combine together. That is why it didn't need a labyrinth, and that is why it defeated you so easily.' After that sentence, she threw me one of the grief seeds. I caught it as it fell, It managed to stay on my hand on it's point, as if defying gravity. ' Get your strength up Mami Tamoe.' Homura announced. ' An even MORE powerful witch is soon to arrive into the city, I will need your help in order to destroy it. ' I stared at her in utter disbelief, Homura turned, and walked away , flicking her hair as she did so. All I could do was stand and stare. Homura saved me….Yet she was so cold. I began to sink to my knees. ' There's an even MORE powerful witch about to arrive? How could that be? And how does she know that?

I stayed in the same spot for several minutes. Tears freely flowing down my cheeks. I wasn't able to destroy the witch, no matter how hard I tried, I failed the people I was destined to protect, I failed them all. My soulgem was now almost completely black, swirling in an abstract manner, It looked like waves in motion, ANGRY waves.

'The grief seed!'

Without a moment's hesitation, I quickly used the seed, removing all the taint in my gem. It began to shine brightly in all it's optimistic glory again. I stared at the gem , feeling so much better. I have learned that the grief seed's not only remove the taint in my gem, but also the despair that I feel. 'Thank you Homura.' I whispered. No matter what her intentions, or her cold expression. She still saved me, and I felt deep gratitude for it. Kyubey suddenly appeared from the shadows, dashed towards me, and jumped into my outstreched arms. ' You know, if Homura needs more magical girl's in order to defeat this new witch, I COULD suggest one person.' He explained. This was curious, I did not know any other magical girl, outside of Homura, in the city, certainly none who showed herself as of yet. ' Who are you talking about?' I asked, curiosity getting the better of me. Kyubey stared at me , before jumping out of my hands and on to the floor. ' There's one girl who has absolutely ENORMOUS potiental, If you can convince her to become a magical girl, you'll have more firepower than you could ever IMAGINE!' ' Who Kyubey who?' I demanded, ' Maybe I can help her become a magical girl!' Kyubey stared at me again, and, I could have sworn I saw kyubey smile.

'Madoka Kaname.'


	2. Grief seeds

'The view is incredible from up here!'

I was perched on the top story of a high-rising building, staring at the multi-colored skyscrapers far off in the distance, feeling the crisp night breeze flow through my hair. With Couxvain out of the picture, there was no obvious sign of witches' activity in the area. I breathed a sigh of relief, not happy...but content. I glanced upwards towards the sky, the twinkling lights complimented the stars above, with the full moon as it's crown. It was a beautiful sight! I looked down towards my soulgem. It glowed entusiasticlly, emitting yellow rays, brightening up my room.

'It's a shame I have no one to share this with.'

I had no mutual realationship with any of the other Magicial Girls in the area. Out of every single one, Homura Akeme was the most kind, seeing as she _actually _inconvienenced herself to save me, and even then managed to get a grief seed out of the deal!

The gem's shine faded slightly, the very bottom of it's center began to morph into faint black, tainting the yellow aura.

'You _do _have some one!'

I turned towards the direction of the sound. Kyubey seemingly morphed from the shadows, perched on top of the ledge.

'Your wish has been granted.' He continued, staring into my eyes with his own.

'I will always be there for you, what more can you possibly need?'

Kyubey launched from his resting spot. I stared once again at the midnight view. It was high enough to see the scampering of people moving from street to street, the shifting of cars from place to place. The novelty of my high-rise apartment was begining to wear off.

'I don't understand.' I whispered, knowing Kyubey would hear.

'I am not aware of Magical Girls forming alliances with each other. If we were able to communicate with each other, fight together, learn each other's fighting styles, we would be much more effective in combat, and the city would be much safer!' I challenged. Kyubey pounced, landing in my arms, staring into my eyes with ever increasing velocity.

'In _that_ case scenario..' Kyubey teased, his face impassive.

'If, for the sake of argument, three Magical Girls took on a witch, defeated it, and was left with one grief seed, which girl would the seed go to?' He asked, once again landing on the wooden floor.

'Why, however needed the seed most!' I countered, making sure I believed what I was saying. True, a Magical Girl needed a constant supply of grief seeds to use her magic, but I was confident we could create a system where every girl would have access to them. Kyubeys' could have been made of stone, for all the expression it showed.

'And what would happen if _all_ of you needed it?' he continued, closing in on winning the argument.I shifted uneasily, this question much more harder to answer. Without a grief seed, one's magic would eventually run out.

'I have witnessed countless Magicial Girls, from all corners of this planet, and in my experience, the outcome is the same. When your low on magic, you fight to restore it! It's a nutural process of elimination.' Kyubey explained, matter-of-factly, as if it was natural to fight what should be an ally! Weren't we on the same side? fighting witches to make the world a better place? Something did not quite add up...and he knew it.

' So that's the way it's going to be?' I asked, verging on the edge of tears. Kyubey slowly turned, and scampered towards the shadows once again. ' Magical Girls are created to destroy witches. That is your duty. Anything else will endanger that duty.' he announced, beginning to combine with the darkness.

'And don't worry. Your never going to die alone. I will always be here. Watching.'

*In the city centre, viewed by Homura Akeme*

I slowly turned, witnessing the dangled chains speeding towards me grind to a halt.

In fact, everything that accompanied it froze in mid-air.

I sighed, almost finding this challenge a little _too_ easy.

The Witch that greeted me was, by Witches' standards, a little contempory. It resembled a human heart, forged in chains. A single, lonely crown sat atop the monster's 'head'. It towered above me, using some of it's chains as legs, resembling a spider.

And it could do nothing to stop me.

I summoned a multitude of rocket launchers at my feet. The weapons floated, eye-level with me, and I gripped one in my hands. Plenty of practice meant I was able to hold the weapon with expert hands. I pulled the trigger, felt the satisfying recoil brush against my shoulder, and witnessed the projectile shoot across the sky. straight towards my helpless prey.

And then it stopped, frozen.

As was expected.

I quickly discarded the useless weapon, and plucked another one in return. I launched my new launchers' deadly projectile into the air,.It, too, froze next to it's sister. I repeated this process until all my weapons had been exhausted, staring into the night sky. Twenty-five hungry projectiles faced the Witch, as of yet unaware of what was coming. I jumped, landing on one of it's 'arms', quickly racing up along it's length, summoning a shotgun in my hand. The crown that I was aiming for was perched on top, forged from what appeared to be iron. It seemed to be holding all of this together. A single shotgun shell should prove sufficent in tearing it apart. I leaped, landing effortlessly on the concrete below, barrel-rolling in an effort to spread the force of landing evenly across my body, and rose again, brushing aside a strand of my hair. It was calm. Right now, right here. I could think, think about how I got into this mess, and how to save her...and yet I've failed, many times! A knot of anger was beginning to surface, threatening to distract me.

I allowed time to resume, and quietly walked away as the resulting explosion decimated the Witch, tearing apart it's labryinth. The abstract enviorment disappeared, leaving a grief seed in it's epicentre. This Witch was new, In all of the timelines I had crossed through, I had only witnessed it once. It was weak, signalling that it was newly-forged...and could have resulted from a young Magical Girl, who didn't know any better.

I swore.

The grief seed removed any taint that had built up within my soulgem, It's purple glow restored. I immediately felt better, removing the anger threatening to overflow. One thing was clear. I was messing up other people's lives in order to save another.

And it was worth it.

'Madoka..' I whispered. She made me promise...never to let her get tricked!

'Damn you Kyubey!'

This was all getting too much. Walpurgisnacht would be here in just a short month. It formed much later than a month ago, out of my limited time travel's reach! A girl would have to work with what she's given, however, even if it meant tackling the mighty Witch myself...even if it meant dying.

I passed through the city's busy streets. It was unusually crowded for such a late time! A group of onlookers were busy camping outside the local gaming arcade, proabably waiting for the next big console with dazzled eyes.

'Pathetic!'

I could feel it. Another Magical Girl was nearby. The trace was unfamiliar. She either arrived in this city recently, or was very good at hiding from me! I briskly stepped inside the main shopping centre, pausing to take in all the sights and colors. This was my favourite place to hang out...once. My friends had gone, my interfering with time must have set something in motion. I could see where we would all gather, just outside the Boutique, laughing and discussing the useless topics we were all fascinated by.

All these moments seemed a world away right now.

'There!' I thought to myself. I froze time immediately, spinning around with breakneck speed! The Magical Girl was here! The crowd were statues, and as I manouvered through them, I could see their many expressions. Some with joy, some with sadiness, some with anger.

And one who did not fit in at all!

'There you are.'

The Magicial Girl didn't appear to be a threat, her long red hair forming an elegent arc in a ponytail. In her frozen state, she appeared bemused...bored. An apple was present in her free hand, the other was busy adjusting the headphones that were in the middle of slipping. I stared at her for a long time. Maybe...just maybe...


	3. Gathering an Army

*Continued from Homura Akeme's point of view*

I found her. A possible candidate for fighting Walpurgis. She _looked _tough, her feline face matched with an expression that radiated '_don't mess with me!' _I only hoped I could pursuade herto die to save someone she has never known. A sense of hesitation crept through my veins. I closed my eyes. It _had _to be done! Madoka _cannot _become a Magicial Girl! I began to run through what I would have to do to get this girl by my side. Two problems suddenly became obvious:

1. If I allowed time to resume now, this Magicial Girl would suddenly be _acutely _aware of my presence! I had to leave the store so she will not pick up my trail.

2. This Magicial Girl may refuse.

I weighed up the pros and the cons, trying to decide what to say, what to do, in order to get her to my side. Will I tell her that I have travelled to many different timelines, fought the Witch an infinite amount of times, and lost? Will I tell her that I am doing _all _of this in order to save a High School girl from becoming the most powerful Magicial Girl - and Witch - this world has ever seen? No. It would be too much, too sudden, It would be much more effective to drip-feed her information on a need -to- know basis. Besides, this girl has yet to learn what fate awaits her, awaits _all _of us! I opened my eyes once more, more focused now. I took a good look around the store. One of the advantages of my powers was that I had all the ' time' in the world, to think, to prepare, to remember. My last battle with the Arch-witch resonating _far _too clearly in my head. The monster was resistant to _any _weapon I could use! Which was why I needed more Magicial Girls by my side! Each one had unique powers and weaponry. _One _of them had to possess a skill that would expose a flaw in the demon's formidable armour!

And it will all start by befriending this frozen girl.

I turned around, leaving the mall, passing by the furiously detailed windows, the agressively marketed car in the center of the ground floor, the place I had called my second home. It was all different now. It meant nothing to me by the time I exited the doors, walked casually through the cobbelled steps, and made my way to a local playground just five minutes away from here. The girl would still notice a trail. She will follow it, of that I was certain. I allowed time to resume, the black and grey backdrop suddenly gained color again, and ordinary people carried on with their ordinary lives.

*In the view of a new Magical Girl - Angelica*

I dived, missing the tentacle slithering angrily towards me.

Instead, it struck one of it's own familiars, evaporating it before I could blink! I turned to where I stood, witnessing the Witch in my place. It was ugly, even by these guy's standards! It's face, resembling a terrier, was horribly melted, with tentacles lashing out of it's mouth! The familiars, however, were much more representational, morphing into shilouettes of puppies. They, too, had tentacles, albeit much shorter ones, used as sharp claws instead! They slashed and cut their way toward me, attacking each other as often as they aimed at me.

They were incredibly un-disiplined! This Witch must be newly-born, weak!

I summoned a sniper rifle in my hands, aimed at the ugly master's face, and pulled the trigger! Shots soared through the mangled flesh, slowing it down, but it was not enough to completely stop it's momentum. It opened it's mouth once again, lashing out yet more tentacles, each one grabbing my limbs. I yelled, struggling to free myself from it's iron grip, proving futile. The Witch stared at me, with something resembling a smile threatening to surface on it's face.

_'This one is cocky!' _I thought.

_'Hang on Ang, I got you!'_

A split second later, and I was sprawled out on the ground, the tentacles holding me severed, rotting into the labrinth's core. I looked up at my partner, Naomi, as she once again hefted her battle mace, colour-coded with her purple hair, jumped, and landed, mace-first, into the ugly monster's head! Thick bouts of green blood ozzed from the hole, and from where I sat, I could see the Witch grimancing as it's insides were slowly being sliced and diced! I smiled, hefted my rifle towards it's face, and eyed my fiber optic zoom to pinpoint where it's weak spot was. There, by it's side, an exposed heft of pink flesh, beating furiously, where it's 'heart' must have been placed.

I fired my weapon, and the Witch collapsed, dead.

The familiars, which I have to say provided little to the fun, vanished, and I was busy sheathing my weapon as I heard the sound of flesh being seperated, as Naomi sliced her way out of the carcass, covered in green slime.

'That was _my _kill!' she whined, wiping the corpses' liquid contents from her hair, and groaned. ' A Girl dosen't _need _this kind of liquid near her hair!' she complained.

'Oh quit whining.' I teased, witnessing the labrinth collapse, broken pieces breaking down aimlessly. before returning to the top of the Monjko building. There, hanging by the ledge, stood a girl, until now emblazoned with the mark of the Witches' kiss. I sprinted towards her, pulling her back from the ledge and it's 120-foot drop to the cold hard pavement below.

'_The poor thing, she must be no older than 10.' _I thought, checking to see if she was still breathing, and was relieved when she was. ' Naomi, can you return this girl to her home please?' I asked, smiling towards her. My partner stopped trying to un-knot her hair, defeated, and made her way towards me, holding a grief seed in her slimy hands.

'Ooo-k, but she's gonna have a hard time explaining the green slime she's gonna be rocking when _I'm_ finished!' she replied, grinning to herself. She then held the girl up in her arms, unintentionally covering her in the ghastly blood, and vanished from view. I sighed, and paused to admire the view below, the sun slowly rising from it's resting place, offering a brand new day. I felt thankful that Naomi could teleport. It made manouvering _much _simpler! It also used up _much _more magic, so I'm assuming she will lay claim to the seed. I didn't mind, I took pride in the efficency of my magic, lasting a long time without using them. My soulgem glowed as green as it ever did, and I kept it close to my heart. It was a light against the dark, the Yin to the Yang, the Good against the Bad! My wish was to always help those who were in trouble, and _my _ability, while not as concrete as Naomi's, proved useful in it's own right. I felt my dark-green hair blow in the wind, and I quickly tied it up in an elegent bow-tie. Satisfied that it was in place, I turned towards the building entrance, knowing Naomi wasn't gonna show up for a while.

'_Hello.' _

I summoned my sniper rifle and pointed it square in the Magical Girl's face! I should have _sensed _her coming!

'_When your done pointing that generic antique in front of me, I need to ask you a favour.' _she continued. Her stare was deadly, all-knowing and...afraid, _what _was this Magical Girl afraid of?

'_My name is Homura Akeme.' _the girl stated, her expression monotomous. '_I will need your help. a witch is coming, one that is unmatched in power, the most powerful witch in the world, and I cannot defeat it on my own!'_

I was slightly taken aback by the sudden arrivial and her prophetic announcement. It made no sense! This Magical Girl, with her lazy expression, her fanatic claim, she must have come from another time!

'I'm sorry, I don't _do _special requests from strangers!' I answered, spitting out the last word in my sentence! My grip on my weapon had not eased one bit! The girl, Homura, looked like she couldn't care less if I pulled the trigger or not! This revelation...unnerved me. She must be crazy! _How _could she know that this suppoused Witch was coming?

Unless she had already fought it?

In all the time it took for me to think this through, Homura looked down, moved a strand of her hair to one side, and sighed.

'_I understand, I cannot force you to make this decision in my favour.' _she uttered, a definate sign of sadness crossed her tone, I could feel it!

'_At the end of this month, you will witness what appears to be a tropical storm, it will mask the presence of Walpurgisnacht, it will not be surrounded by a labrinth, and it will not be stopped by a single Magical Girl. I only hope that when the day comes, you may aid me in my mission.'_ Homura whispered. It felt self-defeating, as if she _knew _I wouldn't show up to this ' Doomsday' of sorts. It was uttered in a way that an actor would read it's lines, over and over, until it was flawless. I got the distinct impression that she has said that a _lot_ more than once.

_'_I don't know you, and I don't trust you.' I replied, lowering my weapon. ' But IF what you say is true, IF this 'mega-witch' shows up in this city, I will be there, because it's my job to protect those in danger.'

Homura smiled, I could tell that it took a lot of effort to place it there, but it was genuine.

'_I feel the same way, but towards one 'particular' person.' _she answered.

And suddenly, she was gone.


	4. Witch no2

*from the point of view of Angelica*

'Did...did that just happen?'

I glanced left and right, no sign of the mysterious Magicial Girl, no clues as to how she escaped either! Could _she _teleport as well? I shook my head, removing the thought. No. She would need to disentergrate into the air, like Naomi! Even _that _required time, albeit not a lot of it! This one, 'Homura', simply...vanished. I was mulling this over and over in my head by the time Naomi re-appeared, noticeably cleaner than what she was, and walked towards me, seemingly concerned judging from the puzzled expression from her face.

'Is everything ok?' she asked, sounding genuinely worried. ' Looks like you've seen a ghost.'

I straightened, refusing to let this latest revelation distract me! Sure, this prophecy would occupy my mind, but what we needed to focus on was the present! A lot of Witches could be exterminated between now and then!

'I picked up another labrinth.' Naomi continued, sighing. _Two _Witches in one night! What were the chances? Still, work was work. I summoned a Sniper Rifle in my arms, ready for the next assignment.

'I'm ready.'

We held hands, and I immediately felt the tingling sensation that generally accompanied the frantic teleportation. We arrived, _right _in front of the labrinth's entrance. I resisted the urge to vomit, my insides' torn apart as usual from the instantaneous acceleration! Naomi, however, appeared much more relaxed, sporting her mace as she began to venture inside.  
'Wish me luck?' she asked, grinning to herself in the way only _she _could!  
'Lady, I _am _your luck!' I replied, falling down the 'rabbit hole'.

Inside was faintly gothic in nature. Crucifixes were dangling aimlessly around the labrinth. An artificial light source was placed in the middle, it's faint glow attracting what could be the Witch's familiars, abstract, geometrical shapes, each coloured dark shades of grey, sporting approximations of 'eyebrows'. I hid my soulgem, shining brightly as ever, as it could reveal our presence _far _too soon for my liking! I nodded to Naomi, requesting her to do the same, which she did. The labrinth presented no clues as to where the Witch was residing. My initial thoughts suggesting that it was another new-born, still to small or weak to properly revel in it's enviorment, but the way this place was structered, the floating pieces of _real, life _matter, the light source, the previous Witch sported _none _of this! No, _this _Witch was more powerful than the last. I leapt into the air, landing on one of the crucifixes, thankful the 'gravity' held it firm. I always believed in taking superior vantage points in the unknown, and in _this _perdiciment, 'Unknown' was simply the beginning. With all the care of a loving mother, I positioned my rifle to whatever bit of even ground my footing allowed, attached the Fiber Optic scope to my weapon, and peered through it's screen, searching for any signs of heat signitures as I scouted the area. Witches' usually left off heat, which made this excerise _incredibly _useful in times of doubt. Yet, after all this, all I could find was the constant seam of radiation emitting from the strange light...wait! I magnified the zoom, allowing myself to see a tiny fraction of the surface area of the mass the bulb was made up of. From my expert eye, the heat was, in fact, slightly irregular. Worse, the Light source _moved._

The Bulb _was _the Witch!

I immediately fired, photon rounds detonating harmlessly off of well-hardened material. I moved the rifle towards the very bottom of the creature's body, where it's 'legs' should be. I fired again, rounds deliberately impacting against the ground_ right _in front of it, hoping to, for lack of a better term, 'make the Witch dance!' It worked, the Light source attempting to move away from the dangerous salvo, revealing slithering, horrible-looking pairs of vines.  
'Perfect.'

One shot, One 'leg' sucessfully dispatched! 'Lucky.' I thought to myself with a grin. It _was_ my power after all! Naomi, after her noted absense from the action thus far, decided to attack the thing head on, regardless of the familiars' now swarming towards us! their ' moustaches' now being used as sharp blades! I wasted no time, picking off those nearest to her with a few well-placed shots. The stubby creature's fell in the dozens, but yet more were at hand to take their place! Naomi jumped into the air. and teleported. She re-appeared, in the blink of an eye, right 'behind' her target, thrusting her mace towards it's hull. The weapon succeded, pouring purple blood in drones. I aimed for the new weak spot, firing as many rounds as I could into the exposed flesh, This...this was too easy. The Witch was nearly down...unless!  
'Naomi! Teleport! Now!' I commanded!  
Naomi, knowing my luck well enough by now to act on my word without question, disappeared from the area, _just _as the bulb suddenly opened, unleashing a _new _form for the wicked Witch! It posessed _three_ heads, topped by ungainly spikes, but no face, wings began to emerge from it's shell, covering the _entire _width of the labrinth as they stretched, sending gusts of wind straight towards us. I clinched the crucifixe with a death hold, refusing to let go as the wind brushed aside the floating objects. Undethered, I hefted my rifle in my arms, eyeing one of the ugly heads now ' staring ' right in front of me. Multiple shots fired, not appearing to make the creature flinch as they exploaded uselessly. The Witch retaliated by unleashing it's wing, swinging it _straight _towards me! I couldn't react in time!  
I felt something grab my hand,tightly, and felt the world vanish from view, only for it to reappear instantaneously.  
It was a good thing I had Naomi by my side!  
The monster faced us again, each one of it's three heads were now moving in an agitated fashion! I fired more shots from my rifle, realising how futile it was, but sought to find a weak spot _somewhere _in this behemoth! Naomi teleported once more, vaguely registering in my view when she reappeared - _right _on top of the thing's head!

That took guts!

From my optic zoom I could see Naomi strike the head she was standing on with her mace, it's sharp barbs clutching at the exposed flesh in between it's horns! She digged deeper, and it was _then _I registered her plan! The other two heads were powerless to stop her! If they struck, they ran the risk of colliding with the middle head, hurting itself more than the Magical Girl! Genius!  
What was threatening to stop her were the familiars not franticlly racing towards her position, furiously attempting to aid their master!  
Not _this _time!  
I felt the magic deplete from my gem, and unleashed a _giant _rifle into my hands! Despite it's vast size, it felt reassuringly light as I clutched it, and aimed sirectly at the Witches' center. I grined. I needed to use this play-thing more often! I squeezed the trigger, and was send spiralling chaoticlly backwards from the massive amount of recoil, witnessing the powerful photon shell race towards the helpless Witch! It was doomed by it's size, it's wings allowing the beast no room to manouver! I had only hoped that Naomi had witnessed my attack, and teleported to me before-  
'_Woosh!'_  
Naomi placed a hand on my shoulder, always one step ahead.  
The round evaporated the familiars before they could even _attempt _to dodge it, the projectile barely fazed as it continued it's path towards the ugly bullseye! The until-now quiet Witch issued a frantic yell, high-pitched, like a banshee! We covered our ears, the resulting strike barely audible as the energy sliced apart the Witchs' atoms, no longer holding it together. The dark Labrinth, too, disintergrated, leaving no trace of it's master behind.

*In the view of Homura Akeme*

'So can it be done?' I asked, brushing aside my hair, threatening to block my vision to this..._thing.  
_Kyubey stared into the distance, perched on a public railing in the middle of the park. It was 2am, and the stars were in full assault, offering more light than the blackness around them could destroy.  
'No.' the Incubator replied. 'It _cannot _change. Your future remains the same. You can try to stop this witch from claiming the city, but, as you've no doubt experienced, it's much harder in pratice than in theory.' Kyubey then crawled towards the ground, staring up at me with those deceptive eyes.  
'It dosent matter what you do, or who you ally with, Madoka _will _become the strongest Magical Girl to have ever existed, _and _the most powerful witch this planet has ever witnessed!'  
I left the area, and that creature, behind. It dodn't matter what it said. I had one advantage this Incubator has _never _experienced in this timeline!  
I had time..._all_ the time in the world.


	5. Divisions

***Mami Tamoe***

It dosen't make sense!

I strolled through the afternoon sunshine, crossing the wooden bridge I would play on as a child, peeping over the ledge to see the boats floating underneath, always filled with happy, loving couples. I sighed. Kyubey, stubbornly, refused to unmask just _who _Madoka Kaname was amognst the scores of people passing to and from the area. For someone, or something, who was frightened of what Homura had promised, an arch-witch, the thing would not aid me in _finding _our future's saviour! I paused, trying to eliminate all the adults in my view. I had never _seen _an adult Magicial Girl before! Refining my search, I had also neglected looking for any teenage boys, for obvious reasons! With _these _filters in place, the crowd suddenly shrank drastically in possible candidates. I walked briskly throughout the park, looking for anyone my age, give or take a couple of years. I had taken an educated guess that if a Magicial Girl would take on the Witch, it probably wouldn't be a girl any younger than thirteen, forteen at most!

It had taken an hour to extensively search through the _huge _distance, and all I found were three girls that managed to fit my criteria. Thankfully, each of them appeared to be close friends, travelling together towards the town centre and possibly the malls situated there. I followed, managing to maintain a safe distance. One girl stood tall and strong, with short, blue hair. She appeared to be the leader of the group determined to do things _her _way! The Girl to her right looked...ordinary. Average-length hair, average hair-color, average height. I found it hard to conclude that _she _could be Miss Kaname. The friend in the middle stood shortest of all, with pink hair, styled by two ponytails, each with their own matching ribbons. From the limited amount of conversation I could gleam, it appeared that she was the most timid, the most shy, _not _good Magicial Girl skills in my book!

So it appeared the Blue-haired Girl was my target!

'And just what do you think _your _doing?'

I felt something clutch at my hand, it's cold touch sending shivers through my bones, right up to my chest! I stared at the masses of people surrounding us, all frozen in place.  
'Hello Homura.' I announced, turning to face her. The Girl's expression was cold , matching , and she did _not _appear amused.  
'Madoka Kaname is _off-limits!' _she stated, clear, consise, and with the false air of authority.

A musket to the side of her face served to shut her up.

The two of us were locked into position, too close for comfort. My weapon was pushed against Homura's skull, my finger on the trigger. Her hand still gripped mine like an iron claw, denying me any free mobility.  
'We _need _Madoka in our ranks! You speak of a powerful Witch threatening to destroy the city? Why not make Kaname into a Magicial Girl? She has great potential, has she not?' I explained, resulting in Homura's icey expression to melt, replaced by the grinding of teeth, angry.  
'And if I suppouse Kyubey told you about our fate, would you believe him _there _too?' she challenged. 'I can let go of you _any _second now! When I do, you will be frozen in time, and I could destroy you whichever way I please, understand?'  
I kept my finger on the trigger, staring into Homura's purple eyes with fury.  
'Regardless of what you have to say, I _still _believe that we _need _Madoka if we are to _destroy _this witch!' I pressed, nudging the musket's barrel against my foe's head. ' And unless your hiding something else from me, then there's really no logic as to why you wouldn't take advantage of this opportunity!'  
_There! _Ths simple shift in motion, the eyes, darting towards the ground, her grip, still strong, softening slightly. She _was _hiding something! My musket vanished from view. Homura nodded, and loosened her hold on me.  
'I know your keeping something from me now.' I assured her, watching her stare towards the ground in reply. ' And I _will _allow Madoka Kaname to become a Magicial Girl, with, or without, your blessing.'

The people resumed their midday stroll.

I glanced around. Homura was nowhere to be seen!

I sighed, wiping away the lone tear threatening to fall down my cheek. It had to be done. The Magical Girl saved my life, but what Kyubey said, of Madoka possessing enormous potential, it was too difficult to ignore, especially if theres an impossibly powerful witch about to arrive!

I followed my targets. hoping to seperate the one I needed from the others...

***Naomi and Angelica, in angelica's point of view***

The Hotel room certainly wasn't five-star...but it was home.

I dried my hair with the complimentary towel, feeling my long green hair brush softly against my face. I stroked it absent-mindedly. Thinking about the Girl's vision.

A horrible witch, destined to be here by the end of the month?

'Angelica! Are you done in there?! A Girl needs to make herself look beautiful!' Naomi whined, despite the door seperating us attempting to muffle the sound. I tied my still-damp hair into a simple ponytail, and covered my modesty with my long bathrobe.  
'It's going to take_ more _than a little moisturiser and make-up to fix _that _mess.' I replied, opening the door to see my comrade, covered in dirt and soot, fresh from a Witch battle! She uncurled her hand with glee, revealing _two _grief seeds in her palm.  
_Two _Witch battles, it seemed.  
'Lucky' I commented, smiling as I brushed past her, making my way to the warm, comfy bed that promised to take my stresses and worries away.  
'Your damn right I am! Seems like I've got my very own guardian angel!' Naomi replied, stripping off her clothes _in front of me!_ I covered my eyes. My partner wasn't a fan of modesty.  
'You're welcome!' I teased, resulting in a bra thrown in my direction! It missed my clean hair by _inches, _landing harmlessly on the ground.  
'Y'know.' Naomi contemplated, finishing with her very public changing routine, now dressed in a simple T-shirt and jeans. 'I've always wondered, you never told me what you wished for.'  
'That's because you never asked.' I replied, perhaps with a little _too _much sarcasm for my friend's sensitive ears!  
'But seriously!' she continued, ' What did you wish for, to become a Magical Girl? I mean, your obsenely lucky, right? What wish would you have to make to allow that to happen?'  
I searched for the right words in my head, somehow allowing Naomi to _picture _just where I was three years ago, staring at my parents.

Dead.

'It's simple.' I replied, 'I wished that I would one day be lucky enough to kill the asshole that took my parents away.' I let my hair fall once more, stroking it softly...the way my mother always would. Naomi backed up, guilt displayed evidently across her entire face.  
'That's rough.' she eventually whispered. ' I'm sorry.'  
'Don't be.' I interrupted, un-tying the knots from my hair. ' As you might Imagine, my wish came true.' I smiled, remembering that fateful day, making sure to replicate the same wounds that my parent sported. I brushed the thought from my mind, however, focousing on the present.  
'And what about you, Lady?' I asked, lying on top of my bed, turning to my side to view the city lights from outside my window. ' What did _you _wish for?'  
Naomi , as I could see against the window's reflection, shuffled awkwardly, staring down towards the ground. ' I wished, that, I could escape the life I always had, seems like it must have done the trick, My life is _unimaginably _different now!' she commented, smiling towards me...yet she was hiding something. _What _life did she want to escape?  
'Explains the Teleporting.' I noted.  
The two of us had become close allies for the past two years. I had found her, struggling against another Magicial Girl's attacks, which left her mortally wounded. I carried her to the hospital, praying that my luck could extend to her as well. Thankfully, it did, and ever since, we had taken down Witches together, to prevent people suffering by their hands. The task of a true Magicial Girl. But we were more than just allies. Naomi was my _friend, _She had helped me through thick and thin, and everywhere else in between! She was my go-to Girl when I needed help.  
Which is why I needed her now.  
'I need to talk to you about something.' I muttered, almost too low for Naomi to pick up.  
'Sure thing, what's up?' she replied, slipping into the bathroom to clean up her face.  
'A Magicial Girl came up to me, just after you brought that girl home.' I began, knowing the reaction Naomi would be struck by.  
'A...nother Magicial Girl?' she asked, coming back into the room, her expression demanding.  
'Yes.' I replied, knowing how hard it was for her to accept this. Her ordeal with the Magicial Girl made it hard for her to accept that not _all _of us were like that. ' She appeared to be able to appear instantaneously, like time manipulation, but it was her _message _that scared me.' Naomi stared at me with her eyes enlarged.  
'..._What _message?' she asked nervously, lying on the bed next to me.  
'A witch.' I added. ' A collection of them, about to arrive into the city at the end of the month, the girl, Homura, wanted me to help her destroy it...she's looking to create an army, I'm going to help her, the notion is just _too _insane to have been made up! Are you going to help me?  
Naomi stared outside the window, her face drained of all color.  
'No.' she stated...


	6. The Beginnings of an Alliance

***Homura Akeme***

The Playground was deserted, the light night breeze swaying the two swings. They creaked slightly with every oscillation the wind forced them to undertake. I sat by the vacant slide, staring up towards the moon. My soulgem was tinted with black. I had been using too much magic recently, it seemed. The hue, however, still remained a proud Purple, illuminating the immediate area in it's glow. As of late, there had been an unusual lack of Witches in the area. I stared towards the ground, witnessing the leaves brush by.  
'Madoka.' I whispered, trying my best to hold my emotions in. 'I promise I'll save you...no matter _how l_ong it takes.'  
'Who 'ya talking to?'  
I looked up, my concerns evaporated in response. I was here for a _reason.  
_'No one.' I muttered. 'A pleasure to meet you.'  
I leapt from the slide, landing unceremoniously to the ground, removing the strands of hair covering my face. The Magical Girl standing before me was busy unwrapping a candy bar, her red hair flowing in the wind. It appeared much more elaborate than it was in the mall, perhaps because time froze it's movements in the cold Autumn air.  
'I picked up an unusual trail _just _as I sat down.' The Girl continued, her voice steeped in agitation. It appeared I interrupted her lunch break. 'It suddenly went cold. Unusual. I would have noticed if you were there. You mind telling me how you did that, punk?'

Great. I managed to anger her before I had even begun!

'My name is Homura Akeme.' I introduced myself, offering a handshake to the Magical Girl. ' And I need your help.'  
My acquaintance eyed my hand blankly, chewing loudly.  
'Handshake's aren't my style.' she replied, her mouth full. 'But it's nice to meet ya! My name is Kyoko, and that's _all _you need to know for now!'  
I nodded, smiling. It seems I was _finally _getting through to someone!  
'Nice to meet you too Kyoko, I apoligise for turning up here, unannounced, but I need to ask of you a favour.' I continued, coming up against the stumbling block that I had failed to overcome in every attempt to ask for help. Kyoko, appearing far from concerned, gulped the last contents of the bar, grinning.  
'Hold it, pipsqueak! If you want to talk about 'favours', let's go somewhere a bit more...appropriate! It will look like we are engaged in a drug-deal to passers-by, wouldn't you say so?' she suggested, stuffing the discarded wrapper into her pocket, replacing it with a new one. She began to unwrap it, before biting a large chunk from the bar, satisfied. I began to feel a bit...unsettled. This Magical Girl didn't seem to realise how concerned I was, but perhaps she hadn't heard of what I would ask of her just yet, so I saved my reservations, for now.  
'Got anywhere in mind?' I shrugged, trying my best to _appear _interested. I really didn't mind, as long as I had Kyoko on board.  
'Just follow me! _Try _to keep up!' she winked, before jumping into the air, with _far _too much velocity for a normal human to muster! I followed, stopping time so I could keep up with my new-found ally. I _had _to convince Kyoko to attempt the impossible. I was running out of Magical Girls to convince...

***Angelica***

'Please...' I begged, trying my best to pursuade my partner, to no avail.  
'You _know _how I feel about this Ang! How could you _possibly _ask something like this?' Naomi replied, her tone pleading!  
'You _know _how much you mean to me, and you should have known that this would have been too much!'  
'But I _need _you , Naomi!' I pressed, rising from my bed, facing my Magical Girl partner. Her face was flashed with fear...and anger. This was _not _looking good!  
'Naomi...' I continued, making my way towards her cautiously. 'I believe her, you know. A Grand-Witch is _going _to show up! And I'm _going _to be there, but I need you alongside me, please...' I could feel myself reduced to the brink of tears. Naomi, on the other hand, stared into my eyes, her mind concluded.  
'Your so delusional.' she replied, shaking her head. 'You've never been attacked by a rogue Magical Girl, You've never been attacked with Magic you couldn't defend yourself with, you've never been lying on the cold, hard ground, dying. I know more about us than you might care to think.' She picked up a random T-shirt, perched on her bed, and put it on, fixing her hair after she did so.  
'You've always been lucky, Ang, but _this _time, you have to listen to me, please, whatever this, 'Homura', has been saying, it's a lie. It's a trick!'  
'No!' I interrupted, standing my ground! 'If I'm lucky, than what she said was _true! _You've got-'  
'ENOUGH!' Naomi yelled, her voice raised by an octave! I froze, startled!  
'Naomi.' I cried, too distracted to my tears from falling.  
'I've had it!' Naomi continued, gathering a bunch of her clothes, holding them to her chest. 'If you won't listen to me, than we're through!'  
No!' I yelled!  
Too late.  
Naomi disappeared, vanishing into thin air.  
I stared into the space the Magical Girl had occupied just a minute ago.  
'No...' I whispered, collapsing to the ground, overflowing with tears...

Naomi threw her clothes to the ground, punching her fist against the tree's bark.  
'Damn it!'  
Angelica was going to be tricked! And there was nothing she could do to stop it!  
By the time the Magical Girl had gathered her thoughts, allowed herself to calm down, and raised her head to view her surroundings, the Witch had already closed the distance between them! Naomi paused, glancing at the enviorment with startled eyes! Debris, as well as sections of buildings, were suspended in the air, enveloped in black and white! The Witch, however, was the most immediate threat! It was _enormous!, easily _towering over me! I gazed in terror towards the upside-down mannequin figure, grinning towards me, not realising the large chunk of a skyscraper hurtling straight towards me...

***Homura Akeme***

We were perched inside an internet cafe, open even at this late hour. I sat in frustration as Kyoko was busy purchasing yet _more _beverages, cheerfully sitting down across from me .  
'Are ya' sure you're good?' she asked, barely finishing her sentence before tucking into her dessert. I witnessed the sweet-dumpster scoff her way through it in record time, licking her lips in satisfaction.  
'I think I'll pass, thank you.'  
Kyoko streched, holding her hand behind her head.  
'So what is it you wanted to talk about to yours truly, huh?' she asked, washing down her food with cola. I stared at this in diselief, pretty sure that even Magical Girls could develop diabeties!  
'I've come to warn you, to warn as many people as I can, about a Witch, one that will arrive within the city at the end of the month.' I paused, realising that my well-rehearsed explantion had failed to recruit _one _ally. I shook my head, clearing the distraction. 'Thia Witch is _incredibly _powerful, It does _not _need a labrynth to hide in.' Kyoko whistled, distracted from her all-you-can-eat buffet.  
'No labrynth, huh?' she asked, dropping her cola, suddenly interested, 'Sounds tough, but let me ask you, how do _you _know about all this? Is _that _your power, huh? The ability to see into the future or something?'  
'Not...exactly.' I admitted, brushing aside my hair. 'But I _have _faced the juggernaut before, and every single time I did, I've lost.'  
'You _stalking _tthe Witch or something?' Kyoko asked, grinning. 'If it's ugly face is too strong for someone like you, I could certainly help you take care of it, it's gonna cost you, though!'  
'I'm being serious!' I pressed, gritting my teeth. 'This Witch is too strong for _any _one Magical Girl! We need to work _together _to take it out!' My hands curled into fists. Kyoko observed this simple motion, and understood.  
'If it's _that _bad, Lady, I'll help you take care of it.' she stated calmly, holding out her hand. curled up in her palm layed a single candy bar. I accepted the gift, unsure of what else I could have done.  
'Thank you.'  
I rose from my seat, and began to leave the cramped surroundings.  
'Wait!'  
I turned around. Kyoko had stood to face me, concern displayed evidently across her face.  
'You're...really not joking...are you?'  
I looked down, remembering all of the times...I shook the distracting thought out of my mind.  
'No.


	7. Chapter 7- First Case Scenario

***Angelica***

I looked _everywhere!  
_The city skyline dominated my view, my soulgem stubbornly refusing to help me locate the missing Magical Girl, It's Green glow now imbued with a hint of black! I had searched every square inch of the area under the cover of moonlight, unable to gather even a _clue _as to where Naomi could be.  
'God damn it!' I muttered, dark bags forming below my eyes. The Sun was beginning to break free of the towering buildings, the streets below waking up, people travelling from place to place, in preperation of a new day. I leapt from my perch, landing on the concrete ground, twenty-feet below. I was beginning to lose faith, usually my good-luck managed to help me in _any _given situation, but this time, it was next to useless! Could my power hide a fatal flaw?  
A cafe was just around the corner, so I decided to gather a dose of caffeine to help me maintain my search. It would have been easier to contact Naomi's family, friends, or anyone who even _knew _her, to get a general idea of where she could be. Of course, Naomi had no _family _to speak of, not here...Could she have gone back to them? Had she ever _mentioned _where she had lived before? I shook my head, trying in vain to remove the headache that was beginning to set in. I needed to rest.  
The cafe was bright and warm inside, the aroma of freshly-ground coffee beans covered the air, inviting me in. As I walked briskly past the many people residing here, Students chatting just before School, Old men discussing by-gone days, and one of the staff, cleaning up the remains of a broken plate, my soulgem began to glow franticlly!  
A Witch was nearby!  
I hid my gem, trying not to attract attention, and dashed towards the counter, startling a sleepy College-Student, snapping him awake!  
'A Cappicino to go, please!' I demanded, much more hastily than I would usually exude.  
'Coming right up!' The barista replied sheepishly, pouring a smoking-hot pile of coffee into an obsenely tiny cup, he placed it towards the counter, satisfied. I, however, looked at the contents with a hint of septicism, not pleased.  
'Make that two!' I snapped, impatient!  
The Student hesitated for a split-second, perhaps wondering why I was being such a Bitch, and gingerly poured another Cappicino, _much _more quickly than the first. I stomped my foot on the ground multiple times, what was left of my patience evaporating.  
'That'll be-' The Barista attempted to speak, just as I placed a twenty dollor note on the counter, perhaps with a bit _too _much force than was strictly nessecery!  
'Keep the change!' I stated, downing the piping-hot contents of the cups without hesitation. I wiped my lips, and sprinted outside, leaving a dazzled Employee behind, busy writing the phone-number he was never going to give to me. A Shame.

The Witch's presence was strong, _very _strong, by the time I made my way deep into the City's underbelly, sprinting and leaping upwards through many unused alleyways, it's walls covered in outdated Graffiti. A fitting place to house the vile monster within! I climbed one of the disused buildings, scaling it's height as quickly as I could, my training taking over. Adreniline coursed through my vains, removing any hint of tiredness. That, coupled with the Caffiene rush, meant that by the time I had summoned my Sniper Rifle, placed it into position, and performed the nessecery modifications, I was as alert as I had ever been.

Naomi would have to wait!

I placed my eye towards the weapon's optic scope, viewing the restricted area before me. The gate of the labryinth greeted me, coloured dark-grey, almost blending into the urban terrain. What grabbed my attention, however, was the lightning-quick movement of a person, far too fast to follow, dash across the roofs of the high-rising buildings, landing on the ground with a majestic barrel roll.

It was _her! Homura!_

_Another _Magical Girl distracted me, causing me to aim straight towards her, not yet sure if she was friend or foe,glancing towards the new arrival, her movements much less fluent than the first, almost animalistic in the way she leaped from building to building, landing on a nearby Truck, before making her way to the ground to join her comrade. The two dashed towards the entrance, slipping through. I jumped from my position, scaling the fire-exit situated from the outside of the disused skyscraper, running towards the labryinth entrance as soon as my feet touched the ground, I had a feeling that my new-found allies may be able to tell me just where Naomi could be...

***Naomi***

Stars filled my vision, abstract lights flowed from one side of my sub-concious to the next. For a second, I forgot where I was, _who _I was. Where was I? Where have I been? Where will I go?  
The eruption of sound snapped me alert! shaking the rubble around me!  
The Witch!  
It was by _far _the largest demon I had ever seen! And weren't Witches suppoused to reside in Labyrinths? This one certainly didn't need one, _that's _for sure! I struggled to recall what had occured. I remembered teleporting here, something to do with...Angelica! Where was she? What were we fighting about?  
I struggled to get up, and was hit with the truth, more powerful and any blow could have delievered!  
My leg, buried underneath my prison, was mangled. Badly. Blood poured from the wound, forming a large pool around me! As I remembered just _how _I had ended up here, I realised what I had done, what I said to Angelica, why I vanished from there, only to end up _here, _in the middle of all this!  
'Oh my god...I'm so sorry!'  
I could feel myself about to burst into tears, the pain no doubt assaulting my leg was only now beginning to register in my nervous system, the numbing effects of shock beginning to wear off. With as much strength as I could muster, I stared at my soulgem. The Purple glow I had come to associate with had vanished, surrounded by swirling whisps of pure-Black, swaying to and fro like waves, looking suspiciously like...  
A Labryinth.  
Without thinking, I mustered all the magic I had left in me, teleporting from the destroyed debris - only to land _outside _of it! The shard of metal embedded in my leg had followed me, re-assembling inside my leg, spearing me to the ground! I yelled in pain, now freshly-applied throughout the limb, _just _as I noticed what was going on.  
Three Magical Girl's were fighting the terrifying Witch, weapons-fire resonating through my ear drums! From my limited vision, I could make out several old-age Cannons firing in regular intervals, it's Magical Girl commander hiding behind one of her creations, her hand covering half her face, covered in blood. The Second was levitating into the air, shooting with her Laser-weapons, striking in vain against the mannequin- half of the monster, not leaving a scratch! The Third, however, was lying on the ground, discarded rocket launchers littering around her...she wasn't moving.  
The first Magical Girl turned towards me, wounded, and left the relitive safety of her hiding spot, rushing towards me!  
Without warning, Many more Magical Girls assimilated from thin air, grabbing each limb belonging to my cannon-sporting ally, dragging her into the air! I looked more closely. No...they _weren't _Magical Girls! The shilouettes resembled the same swirling array of colors my soulgem now sported. They were _familiars! _aiding the Witch!  
'NO!' I screamed, viciously trying to help the Magical Girl, trying to free myself from this _damn _piece of metal, unable to do either! I looked in horror as the familiars held the screaming Magical Girl in place! She summoned five more cannons, the weapons firing in vain towards the Witch. More familiars blinked into existance, absorbing the blasts! It was hopeless! The Witch laughed, a manic combination of screams and caccles, opening it's mouth, revealing razor-sharp teeth! The top half of the monster, a combination of gears and switches, rotated maniclly as bouts of wicked flame soared from the Witch's mouth, _straight _towards the defenseless Magical Girl! All I could hear was the final bout of screaming, embedded deep into my mind...

Silence filled the area as I was finally able to look towards the Witch once more, terrified!  
The Magical Girl was gone, without a trace! No cannons, no weapons, nothing to show of her existance! Neither of her allies survived to tell the tale, either. I was beginning to feel light-headed, the blood-loss finally taking it's toll. I could feel tears running down my cheek as the Witch turned it's attention to me, staring impassively, disappointed. It didn't _need _familiars for me, it _knew _I wasn't going anywhere! Flickers of flame raged inside the monster's mouth, the air full of twisted laughter once more. With a powerful surge, the Witch unleashed the deadly arsenal of fire, straight towards me! I closed my eyes, ashamed. My friend was right! The Arch-Witch, the Magical Girl sent to warn of it's presence, all of it!

'Angelica.'

...

...

The Witch turned, satisfied that everything in it's path was eliminated. The last remaining Magical Girl in flames, burned beyond recognition. It made it's way towards the coast, making it's way to construct it's _new _stage...


	8. Chapter 8 - Divisions

I slipped inside the labrinyth, hit with the now-familiar sensation accompanied with leaving the world I was accustomed to, arriving within another. Labrinyths were unpredictable, unique to each Witch. _This _particular habitat, however, proved the most contempory of all that I have seen so far. Straight ahead of me, a shape-shifting staircase greeted me, morphing slightly as I made my way towards it, cautious. I placed my hand on the left-hand bannister, breathing a sigh of relief as it refused to activate a trap. Instead, the material snaked to and fro, continuing it's never-ending journey. I dashed above the steps, making my way to the floor above, silent and quickly. There was one golden rule when it came to Witch-hunting: _never _give your position away before you reach the labrinyth's center. If you do, not only will the Witch come looking, 'guns-blazing' so to speak, but it's _familiars _will arrive too, distracting an inexperienced Magical Girl long enough to be dispatched.

But I had luck by my side!

Sure enough, as I made my way to the next level of the abstract fortress, no threats presented themselves to greet me. What _did, _however, was an opportunity.  
Far above me, the roof far too high for me to see, were the seemingly never-ending levels this hiding-place presented, providing me with an infinite number of bunkers to set myself up! I smiled, pleased at the thought, and dashed towards the 'wall', placing my feet parralel to it's length, and leapt towards the next level, repeating the technique again and again as I scaled the Labrinyth's dizzying height. I paused as I made my way past the twenieth story, summoning my weapon of choice in my arms. The Sniper Rifle would perform admirably here, and I crouched down, attaching the Optic Zoom, peering through it's visor. At present, no sign of a Witch greeted us, although I had spent _hours _surveying Labrinyths before one would present it, allowing me and Naomi...

"Naomi"

The Magical Girl was _still _missing, teleporting to...god knows where. I moved aside a strand of hair, threatening to cover my eyes, distracting myself from my thoughts. Now wasn't the time to think about this! Naomi would be fine. She could handle herself.  
Through the Sniper's attached 'Scope, I could see the pair of Magical Girls before me, almost 200 metres below, moving cautiously through the Labrinyth's undergrowth. From my experienced eye, the Magical Girl's were _completely _out in the open, presenting the still-absent Witch with targets!  
How foolish!  
Before I could continue, however, the pair below suddenly adopted battle-stances, witnessing the threat before them.  
Or, on further inspection, _threats!  
_A number of Familiars blossomed into existance, their 'heads' covered in the brief approximation of rose-petals, their bodies covered in thorns. They multiplied by the _second, _easily outnumbering the Magical Girls below! I swore, and proceeded to fire a number of shots towards them. Photon bullets accelerated through the air, picking of the dimunitive creatures with pin-point accuracy. The Magical Girls below, to their credit, capitalised on their lucky break, experienced enough not to search for who was firing, and attacked the remaining adversaries before them. The Red-haired Girl, more animal than human, unsheathed her spear, stabbing a _number _of her foes at once, before swinging the weapon in a circle, it's once-rigid form bending into complicated patterns, instantaneously piercing the foes in her path. Not to be outdone, Homura summoned into life two shotguns, holding one in each hand. The Magical Girl fired, wiping out the mass of abstract bodies before here, leaping into the air as her allie's spear shot through the space she had occupied, decimating another Familiar.  
Such _flawless _chemistry!  
I continued firing, making the best use of my cover, picking off the remaining enemies. The Familiars, however, adopted a different tactic, squabbling their way to the 'walls' of the Labrinyth, disappearing. Thorny branches escalated above the Magical Girls, overflowing as the foilage arched upwards, straight towards...  
Me.  
I continued firing, snapping the abstract 'buds' that appeared randomly along the branches length, correctly assuming that they were the Familiar's forms. The thorny undergrowth kept growing, however, despite my best efforts. It wasn't long before the foilage was eye-level with me, growing alongside my feet, bulbs sprouting from within. I improvised, using my weapon as a club, smashing the enemies directly in front of me. The bulbs popped, followed by a sweet-smelling scent. These Familiars were _very _weak, destroyed with a simple touch.

But there were so _many _of them! The most Familiars I had _ever _seen within a single Labrinyth!

I had no choice, I was outnumbered! I leapt from the floor's edge, making my way down towards the ground, far below. _How _I was going to survive the landing, however, was a different story!  
Until Homura suddenly appeared from nowhere, grabbing me, forcing us to the floor before I could impact it outright. Pain speared through my body, particularly my thigh. I rose to my feet, however, masking the pain from within, and summoned yet another Rifle in my hands, continuing the battle. From the ground level, a strategy was set in place. Me and Homura would destroy the medium-to long-range Familiars, while the Red-haired Magical Girl would decapitate the ones that sprouted too close, picking them off with brutal efficency.

"Is this all'ye got?!' She threatened, waving her deadly weapon in the air, forcing it straight towards the struggling familiar before her feet. I continued firing, popping the last remaining forms on the outskirts of the Labrinyth. Almost as quickly as the foes appeared, they vanished, leaving their thorny branches behind.

"Who's the chick?" I could hear the third Magical Girl mutter, eyeing me suspiciously. Homura turned, staring directly into my eyes, unsettling me. However, she allowed herself the faintest ghost of a smile, turning towards her ally once again.

"A Friend."

An unearthly rumble escaped from below us, shaking the entire Labrinyth in it's wake. The two Magical Girls before me crouched, preparing themselves for the next round.

"The name's Kyoko, in case we die here today. It's rude not to introduce yourself!" The Red-haired Magical muttered, clearly for me. She continued to gaze towards the source of the noise, yet flashed an enormous grin.

"Angelica." I replied, repeating the gesture.

From out of nowhere, the floor underneath us erupted, massive shards of rock and metal falling towards the chasm below. What had _caused _this devastation soon greeted us, facing us with _clearly _visible anger! The Witch, for it could _only_ be a Witch, resembled an _enormous_ Beanstalk! An equally large exotic flower unfurled from it's tip, unleashing multiple chains towards us, the 'heads' attached to them sporting rows of multiple sharp teeth! Without warning, I hefted the Rifle towards me, firing at the massave creature, intending to take out the heads. The energized bullets distorted their path, sending the chains that resembled the Witch's 'necks' away from their targets, the Magical Girls. Homura closed her eyes. a split second later, multiple explosions erupted in front of the Witch's main body, scarring it.

"Keep it's heads from reaching us! We'll focus on destroying it!" Homura commanded, summoning a rocket-launcher into her hands, placing it above her shoulder, and fired, directly towards where she had struck the Witch before.

I nodded, waited for the moment one of the Witch's heads made their way towards one of us, and fired, sending them sprawling back-only to be replaced by another!  
But the Witch wasn't the _only _problem we faced!  
Familiars once again assimulated from the branches that were formed earlier, threatening to overwhelming us!

"_Oh _no you don't" Kyoko challenged, sprinting towards them, taking them out with her spear, it's entire shaft extending, the chain underneath the bodywork visible from underneath.  
The Three Magical Grils now has assigned tasks, and while Kyoko and I kept both the Familiars and the Witch's dangerous teeth from reaching any of us, Homura unleashed a barrage of RPG's, setting the epicentre of the Witch's form ablaze. It screamed, enraged, swaying to and fro, limited in it's movements by the very hole it had arrived through!

"I've had enough." Homura whispered, closing her eyes, preparing the final strike.

"_Tiro Finale!"_

All _three _of us paused, stunned, and forced our gaze towards the _fourth _Magical Girl before us, levitating in the air, sporting a _massive _over-sized rocket in her arms! The weapon built up a deadly charge within nanoseconds, and unleashed it through the air, _directly _at the Witch's damaged weak spot. The energy detonated, decapitating the Witch's head from it's body, felling the giant Beanstalk. All around us, the Familiars screamed, before collapsing to the ground, whitered. The new Magical Girl landed gracefully, bowing towards her victim as it disappeared, as well as the Labrinyth that it had created. A split-second later, we had returned to the relative safety of the _real _world, a lone grief seed standing unnaturally upright before us. Homura made her way towards it, and picked it up, placing it in the palm of her hand. Quietly, she made her way towards the mysterious Magical Girl, placing the object inside her hands.

"It was your kill." she commented, expressionless.

"Ok, ok, that _was _impressive!' Kyoko admitted, placing her weapon towards it's make-shift container, behind her back. "But it's inefficent for _four _of us to be hunting Witches together. I don't know about you, but _I _would like to claim my prize whenever a Witch kicks the dust, and I'm _definately _not in the mood to fight one of you pretty ladies for that!" She pointed directly towards the blond Girl's grief seed, her teeth bared. The Magical Girl closed the distance between them, holding the object in her hands.

"If you want it, just take it. I have no need for it."

Kyoko paused, eyeing the tempting reward, seriously considering it, but shrugged, closing her eyes.

"N'ah! As I said, your attack was impressive! It must have taken a lot outta ya! You deserve it."

The Magical Girl nodded, and placed the seed within her breast pocket, the topic closed for debate.  
The four of us faced each other, bathing in the rapidly-fading sunset.

"I have spoken to _all _of you." Homura suddenly bagen, placing herself in the middle of our circle, turning as she faced each of us. "And I really must know, Will you fight with me against the Witch that threatens to destroy us _all?"_

Each of us glanced at each other, varying expressions crossing _all _of our faces.

"I sure will!" Kyoko beamed, making her way towards the center, facing Homura one-on-one. "A Girl's gotta keep herself occupied, and this Witch sounds _challenging! _I can't wait!"

"If I'm prove to be useful, then I'll join you too." I replied, stepping foward. "I have the ability of generating good luck, and I'm sure you might need that in your upcoming battle."

Homura's eyes opened wide, not by much, but enough for me to sense that she had struck together an idea. Before she revealed anymore, however, the usual serious demeanour returned, but not without the ghost-smile I had grown accustomed to seeing her display.

"We need all the luck we can get." She replied, before facing the one remaining Magical Girl before us. "Mami, we need you. We _all _need you!"

Mami faced the rest of us, appearing as the outsider, a few steps away from us. She noticed, and bowed her head slightly, her face flushed with chargin.

"You say you need all the help you can get? There's one who can _help, _yet you won't allow her _become _one of us! I'll join you, _only _if you agree for Madoka to become a Magical Girl!"

I faced the Magical Girl before me, puzzled. 'Madoka?' Was she just an ordinary girl right now? How does _she _know whether or not this 'Madoka' could help us?

"You _know _my answer to that!" Homura suddenly replied, agitated, making her way towards the Magical Girl before her. " And it's easy to see your not going to change your mind! It's a shame you wont join us, but I have no time for this. I need to gather more Magical Girls, ones who can actually _help _us!"

_that _hurt! Mami tried her best, but her face easily displayed the sense of pain she was experiencing.  
And _that _was too much for me!

"Don't talk to her like that!" I interjected, making my way towards Mami, placing my arm around her. " If you want to get more people to your side, it would _help _if you dropped the tone, and stopped appearing stone-cold! How do we know if 'Madoka' can help you? If she can, why not allow her to become a Magical Girl?"

"_Because she made me promise!"_

There. It was out in the open now.

In that brief sentence, I understood. Homura's serious demeanour was all an act, an elaborate ploy. The urgent squeal that escaped her lips presented me with a glimse of her _true _self. More questions than answers coursed through my head, confusing me. I refused to let it show, however, and continued to stare at her, alongside her ally, Kyoko.

"I don't know what's going on, but _whatever _it is, I refuse to join this. We will fight the Witch when it arrives, _that _much I know to be true. But your hiding something. Something _big, _and until you tell us what it is, I'm not fighting by your side."

Homura and Kyoko stared at me with a collective look of disbelief.

"Oh well, We didn't need them anyway!" Kyoko purred, grinning with mock victory. "Let's go Homura, we have a Witch to prepare for!"

I was getting sick of this.

I escorted Mami away from here, leaving the two allies behind. As we walked, Mami began to raise her head, staring towards me, smiling.

"No one has ever stood up for me like that."

I nodded, stopping in my tracks, staring at the Magical Girl.

"Let's cut a deal." I began, catching her attention. "I'm looking for a friend. Her name's Naomi. If you help me find her, I'll help you make Madoka become a Magical girl."


End file.
